» Clarinet and piano duo (with Tina Chong) - 2012-2013 Desjardins concert
Instrument: Clarinet
Born in Granby, Quebec, Dominic Desautels began studying clarinet at the age of 15, furthering his skills mainly with David Veilleux, Jean-François Normand, Robert Riseling, and Joaquin Valdepeñas. He studied at the University of Western Ontario and the Glenn Gould School as well as the Université de Montréal, where he received his Bachelor’s degree. He took part in master classes with such renowned clarinettists as Franklin Cohen, Eli Eban, Yehuda Gilad, and Ricardo Morales.
Dominic Desautels made his debut as a soloist at the age of 21 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for a series of 11 concerts, performing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. He soon returned as guest principal clarinet and was among the youngest musicians ever to be engaged by the ensemble. Dominic Desautels is the winner of several major Canadian awards, notably Radio-Canada’s Young Artist auditions, the Orchestre de la Francophonie and the Université de Montréal’s concerto competitions, and the 33rd International Stepping Stone, where he was one of the rare wind instrumentalists to have won a grand prize.
He took part in the Scotia Festival of Music from 2004 to 2007. In 2005, he performed the world premiere of André Ristic’s Red for solo clarinet (commissioned by renowned clarinettist Martin Fröst) at the Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto.
A musician endowed with great sensitivity and flexibility, he has shown himself to be a remarkable improviser performing within various music ensembles. He performs around the world as a chamber musician, recitalist, and soloist with orchestras, as well as on radio and television.
Dominic Desautels is a Yamaha Artist and has received career development support from Jeunesses Musicales of Canada. Since 2008, he has been the principal clarinet of the Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais, one of Brazil’s main symphony orchestras.